Upcoming Events and School News

Quality Assembly Date Change  The Second Quarter Quality Assembly for students will be held next Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the school multi-purpose room.   Please note this in your calendars.

Black History Showcase  Don’t forget to come to school this Thursday, Feb. 23^rd, for our annual black history presentation at 6 p.m.  An afternoon dress rehearsal will take place at 1:45 p.m..Students are putting on a Black History Showcase this year!  You won’t want to miss this showcase.  Hope to see you there.

Field Trips  We have two field trips this week.  Third grade is going to the Morehead Planetarium and kindergarten students will be participating in an in-house Science field trip.

Artist in Residence Program  Second and fifth grade students will be participating in a week long Artist in Residence program next week that focuses on Chinese culture.  You will be seeing colorful costumes, beautiful dancing, and possibly a few dragons as well around the school.

Book Drive  Friends of the Library are continuing their FAO Book Drive.  Please donate books that are in gently used to great condition.  You can donate your books by putting them in the drop off box by the library.  Books will be shared with students for summer reading.  Thank you in advance for helping us share the joy of reading!

Annual Yard Sale  Our 12^th Annual FAO Yard Sale will be Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.  Please bring your donations of good, clean, unwanted items to the gym on Friday, March 2^, 2012 between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and/or between 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Items are tax deductible. Tax deductible forms will be available at drop off.  Volunteers are still needed for this event.  If you can help, please let the office know by calling 856-7899.

Thank you everyone for all you do to make our school such a great place to work and learn!

Notice of Events

Good day.  This is Dr. Wheeler with some important events information.

Early Release  Friday, Feb. 17, 2012 is an early release day.  Students are dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Please pick up your children at 12:30 p.m.  After School students can be picked up at the regular time.

No School      Monday, Feb. 20th and Tuesday Feb. 21st are teacher workdays.  No school for students.

Quality Assembly  Wed. Feb. 22nd we are having our second quarter Quality Assembly at 2 p.m in the school gym.

Black History Showcase  Thursday, Feb. 23rd is an important day at Olds.  Fifth graders are presenting the Annual Black History Play.  This year they will be presenting a Black History Showcase at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6 p.m.  We hope to see you there!

New Year News

Happy New Year from Dr. Wheeler and Staff!  All of us here at Olds Elementary wish you a positive, productive, and enjoyable year! 

Here are some updates regarding January events.

New Staff  I would like to introduce several individuals who have joined the Olds team.  First, we have Melanie Goggans who will be a student intern with the Kindergarten team under the direction of Mrs. Brann.  We also have Amanda Gary who will be a student intern with 4^th grade under the supervision of Mrs. Van Horn.  Finally, I would like you to meet Mrs. Carroll Lowell.  She will be teaching Art and Great Leaps Reading at our school.  I know all of you will join me in welcoming these talented individuals into our school community.

Cold Weather  Yikes!  It is cold out there.  Students want to go outside to play even when it is cold.  Please make sure they are bundled up appropriately on colder days.  We will make a decision about outside play on a daily basis.  We generally keep children inside if the weather dips below freezing at 0° Celsius or 32 ° Fahrenheit.

Lost and Found  All of our lost and found items have been laid out in the front foyer of the school for pick up.  Please take the time to come in and check for lost student items.  There are many nice coats, hats, lunchboxes and sweatshirts.  All items not picked up by this Friday, Jan. 6^th will be donated to children in need of warm clothing.

Spelling Bee  Applications for our school wide spelling bee are due this Thursday, January 5^th.  Please stop in the front office if you need to pick up a form.  The spelling bee will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19^th at 3:30 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend and cheer for our wonderful school spellers.

AG Meetings  Mrs. Russell, our teacher for academically gifted students, is holding an AG meeting for parents of fourth grade students on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 8:00 a.m. in the room 2118.  She will be holding a meeting for parents of 5^th grade AG students on Thursday, Jan. 12^th. At 8 a.m. in room 2118.  A meeting for parents of third grade students will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 25^th at the same time and place.

Early Release  We have an early release day on Friday, Jan. 13^th.  Students are dismissed at 12:30 p.m.  Students in the after school program can participate in a program that starts at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until 6:00 p.m.

Holiday  Monday, January 16^th is a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King.  No school for students.

Teacher Work Day  Monday, Jan. 23^rd is a teacher work day.  No school for students.

Science Fair  It is time for our wonderful Science Fair once again.  Students are working hard on their projects.  Students will be presenting their projects on Jan. 26^th and 27^th.

Field Trips  Second graders will be going to Poe Health Center on Friday, Jan. 20^th .  Our first graders will have an in school Science fieldtrip on Thursday, Jan. 19^th.

Report Cards  We will be sending second quarter report cards home in your Tuesday Folders on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012.  If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, you are encouraged to make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

Student Assignment Information Sessions 

Additional information sessions have been made available to parents on the Choice Student Assignment Plan.  Information is available on our school website under Principal News and on the WCPSS website.

The following related information is from Mr. Poston in the Communications Department.

Families May Attend Extended Office Hours and Sessions for Information on Choice Student Assignment Plan

Families seeking more information on the Choice Student Assignment Plan can visit the Wake County Public School System Administration Building during extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays or attend one of the information sessions being held across Wake County.

Choice Student Assignment Plan

The Student Assignment Department and Center for International Enrollment will open for extended hours beginning Tuesday, January 10 – Thursday, February 23. The extended hours will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. The Student Assignment Department is located in the Wake County Public School System Administration Building at 5625 Dillard Drive in Cary.

You can use Triangle Transit and CTRAN public bus service to travel to the school system offices:

1. TTA Route 305: Raleigh to Cary
2. TTA Route 305: Cary to Raleigh
3. TTA Route 303 Midday to CTRAN Route #6 to CTRAN Route #2: Raleigh to Cary
4. CTRAN Route #2 to CTRAN Route #6 to TTA Route 303 Midday: Cary to Raleigh
5. CTRAN Route #6 to CTRAN Route #2: Cary to Crossroads
6. CTRAN Route #2 to CTRAN Route #6: Crossroads to Cary

The school system will offer a series of helpful information sessions designed to walk parents through the process of selecting a school through the new Choice Student Assignment Plan for 2012-13. These will be offered throughout Wake County, frequently through the assistance of community partners and host organizations. Spanish interpreters will be available at each session. All are open to the public:

Date/Time	Location
Wed., Jan. 4, 6:30 p.m.	Sacred Heart Cathedral, 200 Hillsborough St., Raleigh (Spanish-only session) Hosted by: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Thurs., Jan. 5, 6:30 p.m.	Northwoods Elementary School, 8850 Chapel Hill Rd., Cary Hosted by: Northwoods Elementary PTA
Tues., Jan 9, 6:30	Brooks Elementary School 700 Northbrook Drive, Raleigh Latino outreach
Thurs., Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.	A.B. Combs Elementary School 2001 Lorimer Road, Raleigh Latino outreach
Thurs., Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.	Dillard Drive Elementary 5018 Dillard Drive, Cary Latino outreach
Thurs., Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.	Millbrook High School, 2201 Spring Forest Rd., Raleigh Hosted by: Millbrook High School PTSA
Tues., Jan. 17, 6:00 p.m.	East Cary Middle School, 1111 S.E. Maynard Rd., Cary Hosted by: East Cary Middle School
Tues., Jan. 17, 6:00 p.m.	Banks Elementary School 10225 Chambers Road, Raleigh Latino outreach
Tues., Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.	East Garner Magnet Middle School 6301 Jones Sausage Road, Garner Hosted: Garner Educational Foundation
Tues., Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.	Lake Myra Elementary School 1300 Elk Falls Road, Wendell Latino outreach

 

Again, Happy New Year.  We look forward to working with you to ensure a successful learning experience for your children.     Dr. Wheeler, Principal

School Messenger  -  Jan. 4, 2012

 

 

Winter Break

Greetings to all of our students, parents, staff, and community members.

We wish all of you a safe, enjoyable, fun winter break.

We will see you on Tuesday, January 3, 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Updates

Greetings to all of our Olds families.

Here are updates on events and issues at our school.

Break   Wednesday, December 21, 2011 is the last day of school for students before the break.  No school for students from Thursday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Jan. 2.  School begins again for students on Tuesday, Jan.3, 2012.

Lost and Found  We have set up lost and found tables in the front foyer of the school.  Before leaving for the break, please stop in and check for lost items.  You may find things you did not realize are missing.  The tables will be taken down on Tuesday night, Dec. 22, 2011.  Please come by before the end of the day this coming Tuesday.

Absence Notifications  You may have received a phone call letting you know that your child was absent.  This is an automated system that is new at our school this year.  If you send your absence note in and then receive a call, keep in mind that the system might not be quite as efficient as you.  If you have any questions, call us at 856-7699.

Lice  There have been repeat cases of head lice in our school community.  The upcoming winter break is a good time to get a handle on this problem.  Teachers are bagging up all material items and cleaning the rooms.  You can help by following the directions sent home in your Tuesday Folder.  Please be particularly vigilant about children sharing items like clothing and combs.

Pizza  Every second Wednesday of the month is pizza night.  Wake County Papa John’s pizza restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to all schools in the Wake County Public School System.  All of the donated funds will be divided evenly between our 165 WCPSS schools, so be sure to order pizza to support our schools on these days and to spread the word to your neighbors, family and friends in Wake County!

School Enrollment  If you have questions about school enrollment for next year, please feel free to call our office at 856-7699.  We will do our best to help you.  Also, be sure to visit the the school assignment section of the WCPSS website.  Information about the enrollment process is provided on the website.

Upcoming Events

Hello from Olds Elementary.  This is Dr. Wheeler with a few updates on school events.  SCHOOL BENEFIT   You can complete your winter shopping list and benefit Olds at the same time!  This Thursday through Saturday, December 1st through 3rd, Quail Ridge Books and Music is hosting an in-store book fair to benefit our Media Center.  Just say “I’m a friend of Fred Olds” during checkout and 20% of your purchase will be donated to the Media Center.  There are many great events going on during these 3 days, including a visit by our own Coach Huffman’s uncle, Jonathan Graves, who will be signing his picture book “Isabella Propeller and the Magic Beanie.”  Details are in your Tuesday folders, but if you need more information, just stop by the school office.

PARENT READING WORKSHOP  Mrs, Mazzola, your school’s reading specialist, is hosting an Open House Reading Workshop for parent/guardians of all Kindergarten, first grade and second grade student on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. The workshop begins at 9:20 a.m.  Hope you can come!

GET A SLICE OF THE PIE   It’s back! Papa John’s is partnering with the Wake County Public School System to help us raise funds in support of our 165 schools.  Every second Wednesday of the month, beginning in December, Wake County Papa John’s pizza restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to all schools in the Wake County Public School System.  Watch your Tuesday Folder and our school website for more information.

Student Assignment Information

 Good day Olds Elementary Parents!  This is Dr. Wheeler, your principal, with an important message about the student assignment plan our school board passed on Tuesday, Oct. 18.  We know that you’ll have a lot of questions about the plan and how it’ll affect your child. The new plan was designed to make the transition as smooth as possible. The most important thing to know about it is this. If your child is set to come back to our school next year, nothing has to change. You can keep your assignment to our school, with your current transportation, and we look forward to having you back.  If your child is a rising 6^th grader, your child will initially be assigned to our feeder school, which is Martin Middle School.

If you feel like you need to make a change in next year’s assignment, you can participate in the choice selection process, where you’ll be given multiple school options. The priorities for available seats include sibling placement and proximity. More information about the plan will be available in the coming days at assignment.wcpss.net.  We’ll keep you posted so that you can make the best decisions for your family. We are focused on student achievement and providing your child with a world-class education. Our school appreciates your support.

Please keep a look out for information that is scheduled to come home this week with your child’s initial school assignment for next year.  Finally, you might want to attend some of the sessions explaining the new assignment process.  The information is printed below for your convenience. 

Need to Learn How to Choose Your School? Parent Info Sessions Begin

Updated Nov. 10, 2011 – The Wake County Public School System is beginning a series of helpful information sessions designed to walk parents through the process of selecting a school through the new Choice Student Assignment Plan for 2012-2013. These will be offered throughout Wake County, frequently through the assistance of community partners and host organizations.

All sessions are open to the public:

Date/Time	Location	Flyer
Mon., Nov. 14, 2:00 p.m.	Centro para Familias Hispanas, 2013 N. Raleigh Boulevard, Raleigh Hosted by: Centro para Familias Hispanas	Download Flyer (PDF)
Mon., Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.	St. Mark’s United Methodist Preschool, 4801 Six Forks Rd., Raleigh Hosted by: St. Mark’s United Methodist Preschool	Download Flyer (PDF)
Thurs., Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.	Durant Road Elementary PTA, 9901 Durant Rd., Raleigh Hosted by: Durant Road Elementary PTA Planning to attend this session? Please take this survey.	Download Flyer (PDF)
Thurs., Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.	Knightdale Town Hall, 950 Steeple Square Ct., Knightdale Hosted by: Knightdale 100	Download Flyer (PDF)
Sun., Nov. 20, 3:30 p.m.	St. Raphael Church, 5801 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh (Spanish-only session) Hosted by: St. Raphael Church	Download Flyer (PDF) en español
Thurs., Dec. 1, 6:30 p.m.	West Regional Library, 4000 Louis Stephens Dr., Cary Hosted by: Carpenter Village	Download Flyer (PDF)
Fri., Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m.	Islamic Association of Raleigh, 808 Atwater Street, Raleigh Hosted by: Islamic Association of Raleigh	Download Flyer (PDF)
Thurs., Dec. 3, 9-11 a.m. and 12-2 p.m. (either session) DATE CHANGE	Consul General of Mexico, Oficina Anexa, 2000 Yonkers Rd., Raleigh Hosted by: Consul General of Mexico in Raleigh, NC
Thurs., Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m.	Cameron Village Library, Room 202, Raleigh (AG-Specific Session) Hosted by: PAGE – Parents for the Advancement of Gifted Education	Download Flyer (PDF)
Thurs., Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m.	Wake Forest United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 905 S. Main St., Wake Forest Hosted by: Wake Forest United Methodist Church	Download Flyer (PDF)
Sun., Dec. 11, 2:00 p.m.	First Korean Baptist Church, 8905 Ray Road , Raleigh Hosted by: First Korean Baptist Church	Download Flyer (PDF)
Tues., Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m.	St. Matthew’s Church, 1629 Bennett St., Raleigh Hosted by: Harriet Webster Task Force for Student Success	Download Flyer (PDF)